ANGI considers move to former Gilman plant
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Milton-based ANGI Energy Systems is considering a move to the former Gilman/ThyssenKrupp facility, 305 W. Delavan Drive, Janesville.
JANESVILLE — A Milton-based maker of natural gas compression equipment has a strong interest in relocating its operation and 100 or so employees to Janesville.
So strong, in fact, that it has met with its potential Janesville neighbors and has asked the city for a zoning amendment on truck traffic at the former Gilman/ThyssenKrupp factory at 305 W. Delavan Drive.
Representatives of ANGI Energy Systems, however, were unavailable Monday to discuss the potential move.
ANGI's possible departure from Milton became public earlier this year when the city of Milton expressed an interest in moving its library, City Hall and police and fire departments into the former Burdick building, where ANGI now has about 60,000 square feet of manufacturing and material handling floor space for gas and control panel assembly, compressor assembly, welding and fabrication, machining, and hydrostatic testing.
Terry McGuire and Tom Lasse of Badger Property Investments own the former Burdick building.
Lasse described ANGI as a "wonderful" company that needs more space to accommodate its growth.
He said he and McGuire have entered a contract to buy the former Gilman building and lease all 215,000 square feet of it to ANGI.
"We hope to have a closing in the next 30 days or so and start construction," Lasse said.
ANGI wants to build a separate testing facility at the site, he said.
Janesville's plan commission agreed Monday to set a public hearing for Tuesday, Jan. 3., on an ANGI request to amend a condition of the property's zoning. The change would allow deliveries to the east side of the facility off of Jerome Avenue. The previous zoning only allowed shipments out of the facility on that side.
Brad Schmidt, an associate planner with the city, said staff has not made a recommendation yet on the zoning change.
He said such a change would allow both shipping and receiving on the building's east side. When ThyssenKrupp operated the facility, outbound shipments left the east side of the plant while inbound shipments were handled on the building's west side.
ANGI officials met with neighbors last week to discuss the proposed changes in truck traffic.
Lasse, who attended the meeting, said neighbors were concerned that added truck traffic on the building's east side could pose a danger to children playing along Jerome Avenue. He also said neighbors noted that because of the street's width, backing into the facility has in the past created problems.
Lasse said ANGI's low-volume operation would result in six to eight trucks a day delivering to the facility, and some of them would be smaller UPS-type vehicles. He also said he believes ANGI has a solution to the backing issue.
Schmidt said ANGI officials told the city that the facility would make one or two outbound shipments a day.
Schmidt said that while ANGI has not signed a lease for the facility, a change in the shipping limitations could benefit any company considering the building.
Robert Sage Jr., who lives on Jerome Avenue across from the shipping docks, said he supports a new business at the vacant plant.
But, he said, there are trucking alternatives that don't involve his street, which he said has become more populated in the last few years with younger children.
He said ANGI or any other company could use a network of existing roads on the property's southern end to avoid Jerome Avenue all together.
In the past, truck drivers have turned south off of Delavan Drive onto to Jerome Avenue. They drove to the railroad tracks and then backed blindly into the Gilman lot. On occasion, that resulted in ripped up lawns and sideswiped vehicles and fire hydrants, he said.
Sage said he's also concerned with the speed at which the project is moving, at least as it was presented to neighbors.
"They say it's not a sure thing, yet, that they're just kicking it around, but they're going to have a public hearing on it on Jan. 3 and then vote on it Jan. 26," he said. "I'm not sure what the hurry is."
Dec 22, 2011 at 1:43 a.m.
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Miss Gilman's
Dec 21, 2011 at 10:44 a.m.
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Sigma only complains.
Dec 21, 2011 at 10:34 a.m.
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You all miss the point of Sigmas posts. First, it is very unlikely that he worked there as that would imply the ability to get up, get dressed and get some place on time. Second, no matter what a company is or what it does it is evil and bad for Janesville. When the company comes in that pays its employees top dollar to show up each day, spend a little time daydreaming, have a nice lunch, perhaps an afternoon nap and then home by 3, Sigma may have found something he can believe in.
Dec 21, 2011 at 10:32 a.m.
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I'm not sure what rock you have had your head under sig, but I travel a bit and nearly every metroplex I have been to runs their buses and other city vehicles on CNG. Many companies with large fleets in the US are switching to CNG. In fact a fortune 50 company in the area is going to soon be changing it's fleet of delivery vehicles over to CNG and installing a compressor system on site to run it. The countries you speak of had CNG because they don't have large networks set up like developed countries do to distribute gasoline. CNG is much easier to distribute around a third world nation than gas or even diesel.
Dec 21, 2011 at 9:21 a.m.
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I too am a former employee. What Sigma is saying is totally false. There are very small discharges of gas, about the same you get when an LP tank is filled. They have a closed system for testing. Yes there is some noise, but they did a good job shielding it in Milton. Many more stateside locations are using CNG for fleets, be it buses, cabs, or garbage trucks. Also, why is exporting a product to other countries such a bad thing? It helps with the trade deficeit and brings money into the US. I wish them the best on tis move.
Dec 21, 2011 at 8:57 a.m.
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With careful and considered planning, this could be beneficial to our community, regardless of our political persuasion. It is also wise to consider how much city funding will be required to "develop" this plan. We need to keep in mind the current condition of homeowner-taxpayers. Will this development relieve some of our tax burden within the next five to ten years?
Dec 21, 2011 at 8:13 a.m.
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Sigma: Not sure how long ago you worked at ANGI but in the past 3 years the majority of business there is to domestic customers. New York, California and Washington all have large public transporation networks that run on CNG. Michigan and Wisconsin cities are also converting to CNG. Utah has a large private vehicle CNG population. CNG use is expanding rapidly in the USA.
Dec 21, 2011 at 7:49 a.m.
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Most the larger customers are in Indonesia, China, Brazil, Egypt, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Jordan, Bangladesh and Europe. Why if the company has been going strong since 1983 are there so few CNG vehicles around here? And those countries i listed have very high safety standards right? (HAHA). How well did the busses run at the Sayre bus company on CNG? Seems they broke down quite a lot, unreliable. Why dont you see mass transit systems around here incorporate CNG? Seriously...why?
Dec 21, 2011 at 6:56 a.m.
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Hedgehog...no. The gas you smell is left over from the Doyle administration
Dec 21, 2011 at 3:35 a.m.
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Nice building
Dec 21, 2011 at 1:35 a.m.
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Wonder if Walker and his supporters will claim this as newly created jobs in Wisconsin?
Dec 20, 2011 at 10:30 p.m.
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cngforme, thanks for offering your insight into the story - but these comments are for people to spew half truths and negative rhetoric on anything newsworthy.
Dec 20, 2011 at 9:18 p.m.
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Stop by and visit Siggy,ask for a tour and see how testing is actually done. You are misinformed. Also check out the 3rd world customers ANGI has in California, Utah, Oklahoma Pennsylvania and numerous others. Did you know there are 10 staions in that far off city of Milwaukee. Get out and educate yourself
Dec 20, 2011 at 8:37 p.m.
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I used to work there, Im very familiar with testing. Its vented to atmosphere... call them and ask them.. Its harmless, just smells. And there is some risk to it.. Why do you think there are very few places converting to CNG? Only 3rd world countries....because they dont care about safety.
Dec 20, 2011 at 7:54 p.m.
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sigma40 unfortunately does not understand compressed natural gas. Who in their right mind vents natural gas all day long. Gas is expensive and venting to atmosphere affects the ozone layer. Testing at ANGI occurs in a controlled recirculating loop. Equipment typically runs at an 80db level, like a lawn mower. I am sure the gas Siggy is smelling in Milton might be from the sewage treatment plant across the street. Finally Sigma does not know what ANGI produces. They do not make big tanks. They make the compressors that compress gas that can run your car, truck or bus for just over a dollar a gallon. Oh yes, by the way, natural gas is produced here in the United States, is renewable and produces a fraction of the polution that burning gas or diesel does. Free the US from dependance on foreigh oil and supporting terrorists. It is CNG for me!
Dec 20, 2011 at 7:41 p.m.
Dec 20, 2011 at 6:50 p.m.
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Sigma, that, of course, is totally false. But an honest mistake...the loud gassy smells are undoubtedly coming from another source that might be in your general vicinity.
Dec 20, 2011 at 5:20 p.m.
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Not sure I quite get the "network of roads" point -- either way that loading dock is on Jerome. Unless they mean the driveway that goes along the back of the building and then leads north or south to Delavan or State. And there's still the secondary dock on the wall facing Jerome anyway.
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This does seem like a great opportunity for the city and the property owner to examine any better ways to configure access, which could include widening Jerome or just making the whole terrace a paved apron. I assume the whole reason for the dock being there is to improve the view from Delavan, but that doesn't help the folks who live across Jerome one bit.
Dec 20, 2011 at 5:12 p.m.
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Ya as they vent natural gas all day while testing compressing gas to extreme high pressure, sometimes its loud and it always smells like natural gas... I wouldnt want to live in at least a 2 block radius from the place. Ever see an accident with compressed natural gas? The accidents you see with vehicles blown up on google images are just the vehicles with small tanks... this place makes and tests the big ones.
Dec 20, 2011 at 5:07 p.m.
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ANGI is a good fit for this location. They have been a stong company exporting products from WI to the world. Also, they have been a great neighbor in the milton area, and the Janesville location will give them the space to continue to grow.
Dec 20, 2011 at 4:06 p.m.
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Hope it happens. Sounds like an company that cares about its neighbors.
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